Research Medical Center—part of HCA Midwest Health, Kansas City’s leading healthcare and emergency care provider—has named Mark J. Lieser, M.D. as the hospital’s new Trauma Medical Director. Board certified in general surgery, Dr. Lieser will assume his responsibilities of the Research Medical Center Level I Trauma Center on June 1, 2017. Dr. Lieser replaces Scott Bjerke, M.D. who served as the Research Medical Center Trauma Medical Director since 2009.

Lieser has more than 30 years of experience as a physician leader. Most recently he served as Trauma Medical Director of Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas. Prior to that position Lieser was Trauma Medical Director at McAllen Medical Center in McAllen Texas, and attending surgeon in the Department of Surgical Oncology at Sheba Hospital at Tel Hashomer Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel. His career experience includes military service where Lieser was Lieutenant Colonel in Medical Corps, United States Army where he was trauma surgeon in the 228th.

Lieser received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School in Newark. He did a general surgery residency at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan, and a gastrointestinal fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Department of Surgery, in Rochester, Minnesota.

Research Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Jackie DeSouza-Van Blaricum notes Lieser’s decades of experience in healthcare and trauma—both in hospital settings and on the frontline of military conflict— and outstanding leadership throughout his career will continue to elevate the high-quality trauma services offered to the Kansas City region by the Level I Trauma Center.

“Dr. Lieser’s acclaimed career illustrates his innate commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care and we look forward to his signature dedication of life-saving work to benefit our community," DeSouza-Van Blaricum says. “He will be a tremendous asset to Research Medical Center as we continue to raise the standards of care within the organization, which impacts our mission to the care and improvement of human life, above all else.”

"Trauma requires dedicated and diligent teamwork from all departments within a hospital and I am fortunate to have worked with and grown professionally from many experienced mentors along the way, which has prepared me to work with this extraordinary and dynamic team at Research Medical Center," Lieser says. "I am privileged to lead these compassionate professionals in such a well-regarded hospital and know we will continue to provide excellent care to our trauma patients and their families, during the most vulnerable time in their lives.”

For more information on Research Medical Center and its full spectrum of services, including highly specialized trauma care, visit http://researchmedicalcenter.com.